Conversation Starters: Defending the Faith
Posted by Karah
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Everybody faces difficulties, and we all experience suffering. There are no exceptions. The difference comes in how we handle suffering. When we keep Christ at the center of our lives—regardless of the circumstances—people notice the difference. One of the best ways to offer a defense of the Christian faith is letting others see Christ sustain us through difficult times.
Concept: Defending the Faith
Preschool
Acts 21:27- 22:29
LIFE POINT: Paul had returned to Jerusalem. He went to the temple to worship. People who did not like Paul saw him. They became angry and grabbed Paul. Soldiers came to keep the people from hurting Paul. They wondered why the people wanted to hurt Paul. They took Paul away. Paul asked to speak to the people first. He stood on the steps of the temple and said, “I am a Jewish man like you. I once hated people who believed in Jesus and tried to hurt them. Jesus appeared to me, and now I understand that He is the Son of God.” The people got angry again, and the soldiers protected Paul and took him to safety.
LIVE IT OUT: Help your child remember that God is with her all the time. Remind her when you put her to bed, when you drive in the car, when you sit down to a meal.
Kids
Acts 21:27- 22:29
LIFE POINT: Paul had returned to Jerusalem. He went to the temple to worship. People who did not like Paul saw him. They became angry and grabbed Paul. Soldiers came to keep the people from hurting Paul. They wondered why the people wanted to hurt Paul. They took Paul away. Paul asked to speak to the people first. He stood on the steps of the temple and said, “I am a Jewish man like you. I once hated people who believed in Jesus and tried to hurt them. Jesus appeared to me, and now I understand that He is the Son of God.” The people got angry again, and the soldiers protected Paul and took him to safety.
LIVE IT OUT: Help your child think of a situation when he might need to speak up for God. Role-play some statements he could use in that situation. Pray together for his courage in that situation.
Students
1 Peter 3:13-16; 4:1-2
THE POINT: Suffering brings opportunities to point to Jesus. How has God used suffering in your life to help others see Him? Have a conversation around this quote:
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times.”1 —Martin Luther
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities.
If your student chooses to do Be Challenged:
•Encourage your student to find the person that can help challenge him or her to grow spiritually.
If your student chooses to do What I Believe:
•Ask your student if he or she wants help in formulating his or her reasons to believe.
•Pray for your student as he or she thinks through his or her faith.
1. Martin Luther, Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, ed. Timothy F. Lull and William R. Russell, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012).
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